Carlo Ancelotti tends to be undramatic in football situations and it may work against him when it comes to his relationships with club owners, according to Paddy Agnew.
The author of Forza Italia was speaking to Off The Ball about his sacking at Napoli and consequent appointment at Everton and detailed why his relationship with Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis soured.
After a player mutiny over not staying in a training camp enraged De Laurentiis, Ancelotti did not agree with his club chairman.
“De Laurentiis got particularly annoyed and said that he was going to sue the players for damages. The club was looking for a collective two and a half million from them for having sullied the reputation of Napoli.
“So things at that point were very bad. Carlo didn’t necessarily help his standing with the owner at a press conference before the following Saturday’s game against Genoa.
“He was asked what he thought about the player’s basically quitting the training camp. He said, ‘If you ask me, I don’t think being shot in training camp solves anything. I’m against it.’ So at that point, he’s rather blown it with his owner,” Agnew said.
The Italian-based journalist explained Ancelotti’s chilled approach to life stems from his upbringing, painting a colourful picture of his childhood.
“I think he’s a terrific guy. I’ve always liked Carlo. He’s a lad who was brought up with a father who kept pigs and goats and did a bit of farming.
“Carlo had no problem with slitting a pig’s throat and curing his own ham. He’s a country boy. He tends to be able to put everything into perspective.
“So he doesn’t get over-dramatic and maybe that works against him in the eyes of some of the owners,” Agnew commented.
While Everton may not be as high profile a club as the Italian manager normally finds himself in, Agnew suspects Ancelotti just wanted to move on quickly from the Napoli affair.
“He had dinner with the Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis in the Vesuvio Hotel in Napoli about an hour and a half after the game and De Laurentiis confirmed he was going to sack him.
“Carlo then apparently said to him, more than once, ‘Are you really sure about this. Are you really sure you want to do this?” I.e, are you off your bloody head? So I’d say he doesn’t feel particularly happy about that.
“So he thought, ‘Ok, rather than sitting around licking my wounds and thinking about what might have been, I’ll just take this offer from Everton that’s come my way.’”
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